Wire holder



Dec. 6, R R, PlTTMAN ET AL WIRE HOLDER Filed March 4, 1937 INVENTORSPatented Dec. 6, 1938 PATENT OFFICE WIRE HOLDER Ralph E. Pittman andCarroll H. Walsh, Pine Bluff, Ark.

Application March 4, 1937, Serial No. 129,054

5 Claims.

This invention relates to insulators for use in supporting electricalconductors, and particularly to a combined insulator and wood screw,such an article being commonly known in this art as a wire holder.

An object of the invention is to provide in a wire holder meansforadjusting the position of the insulator to its normal uprightposition after the full length of holding screw has been inserted in thesupporting structure without disturbing, loosening or unscrewing theholding screw, whereby the wire holder may be adjusted to the serviceposition while its base remains tightly seated against the mountingsurface.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing thedecay of that portion of the wood structure surrounding the screw, asthe usual application of these articles is to buildings constructed ofwood not treated to resist decay.

A further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive wire holderembodying the above mentioned improvements which may be easily andquickly installed and removed.

With these and other objects in view which appear from the descriptionto follow, our invention resides in the novel construction andcombination of the elements constituting the device, as described indetail herein, and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device, shown partly insection;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device with the insulator removed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of theinvention, shown partly in section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the device taken along the line IVIV 01'Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 illustrates the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the serviceposition, being also shown partly in section.

Fig. 1 of the drawing illustrates the invention shown in section, whileFig. 5 shows its appearance in the usual service position.

In Fig. 1, an insulator III, of porcelain or other suitable material, isrigidly secured, by means of the U-bolt l6, and the nuts l8 and I1cooperating therewith, to the metal base l2, with its principal axisnormal to the base. An opening ll forms a wire passageway through theinsulator Ill, extending therethrough in a direction parallel to thebase l2, and normal to the principal axis of the insulator.

The head of the mounting wood screw I9 is positioned in a hollow of theinsulator l0 adjacent the base l2, near the midpoint thereof, and theshank of the screw I 9 extends outwardly through a central opening inthe base l2 along the projected principal axis of the insulator, ornormal to the direction of the wire passageway II. The opening in thebase l2 through which the screw l9 passes is slightly larger than theportion of the screw within the opening, so that the base l2 may beturned, for a limited amount, as later described, without -movement ofthe screw l9.

As shown in Fig. 2, a portion l5 of the base I! is out and bent inwardlytoward the insulator Ill. The head of the screw I9 is provided with anoutwardly extending or enlarged sector-shaped portion 20, which portionis out along the surfaces M and 22, and the head of the screw I9 is sopositioned with respect to the portion l5 of the base l2, that, uponclockwise rotation of the base l2 (Fig. 2) the portion I5 engages thesurface 22 to turn the screw IS in a direction to drive it. It will alsobe apparent that counter-clockwise rotation of the base 12 will causethe portion It: to engage the surface 2|, to turn the screw IS in adirection tounscrew it.

The base I2 is provided with the peripheral flange l3, the outer edge ofwhich engages the mounting surface 3|, as shown in Fig. 5. Between thecenter and circumference of the base l2, the metal is first bentoutwardly and then back, to form a circular ridge or recess flange It,thus providing a recess into which is fitted the resilient or yieldablewasher or filler 23, the screw l9 extending through the opening at themidpoint thereof. The filler 23 may be of rubber compound, cork, orother yieldable gasket material, and if desired, may be impregnated witha wood preserving compound, such as Wolman salt, or a zinc compound.

As stated heretofore, the principal object of the invention is toprevent decay of the wood surrounding the wood screw l9, as thebuildings to which these devices are attached are in general constructedof untreated lumber. Since the wire holders have a normal uprightposition in which the wire passageway is horizontal, so that horizontalwire runs may be supported thereon, it is'essential, in order to tightlyseal the screw and prevent entrance of the moisture necessary for lifeof wood decaying fungi, that means he provided for adjusting theinsulator without disturbing or unscrewing the screw.

This invention provides the solution to this problem. The wood screw ofthe present invention is driven into the wood mounting surface byturning the insulator iii in a direction to drive the screw IS, themotion being transmitted through the base l2 to the screw H by contactof the base portion [5 with the portion of the screw 22. The driving iscontinued until the filler 23 is tightly seated about the screw i9, andcompressed between the mounting surface 3| (Fig. 5) and the flanges llof the recess of the base l2. At this time the flange l3 abuts themounting surface 3|. It is obvious that it is unlikely under theseconditions, that the wire passageway ll will be in the necessary normalhorizontal position.

With present available wire holders the holder is either unscrewed orthe screw not driven its full length. To make the adjustment, eithermethod not only fails to make use of the full holding power of thescrew, but also leaves a space between the base of the holder and themounting surface. Rain water flows through this exposed space, andimmediately sets up a condition favorable to rotting or decay of thewood adjacent the screw.

In the present device, the holder may be adjusted to the position inwhich the base is tightly seated against the mounting surface, and theinsulator and base may be then rotated in the opposite direction for atleast one half of one revolution (through the angle between the surfaces2| and 22), without any movement of the screw. The holder may thus beadjusted to the necessary position without opening a path for moistureto the screw hole, and the wire then attached thereto, as the conductor24.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment of the invention, in which ahollow metal insert 21 is rigidly secured, by means of some insertretaining material 29, such as lead, cement or sulphur, within therecess at the base of the in sulator 25. The metal insert 21 is providedwith the upturned portion 28, the latter cooperating with the surfaces2| and 22 of the screw I! in the same manner as the portion i5 of thebase I2 cooperates in the embodiment illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2. Thefiller 23 is fitted into the recess at the base of the insulator, andextends outwardly therefrom so that it may be compressed about the screwIS when the latter is driven through the surface of a mountingstructure, and the base portion 32 seated tightly thereagainst.Following this action, the wire passageway 26 of the insulator 25 may bead- I justed to the necessary horizontal position without unscrewing thescrew, as heretofore described.

It will be apparent from the above description that our improved wireholder will greatly retard the decay of wood structures to which it isattached, while costing substantially the same as present deviceslacking this important advantage.

The description of the embodiments of the invention herein disclosed hasbeen set forth in specific language to facilitate a clear understandingthereof, but it will be understood that the invention is to be limitedonly as is necessitated by the prior art and the appended claims.

What we claim is new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wire holder comprising an insulator having a. centrally positionedrecess in one end thereof, a wood screw extending into said insulatorand concentrically into said recess, and a filler in said recessencircling said screw, said filler being impregnated with a fungicide ofwood preserving character in sufiicient amount ,to effect impregnationof the adjacent wood with which said filler is adapted to be associated.

2.. A wire holder comprising an insulator having a wire passagewaytherethrough, a wood screw, a base having a centrally positionedcupshaped recess rigidly secured to said insulator, and a filler ofdeformable material within said recess, said screw being attached tosaid base and extending outwardly through said filler in concentricrelation with said recess in a direction normal to that of saidpassageway, said base being combined with said screw to initially permitthe latter to be driven in response to rotation of the insulator untilsaid filler is compressed within said recess, and to finally permitsubsequent limited rotation of said base in the opposite directionwithout releasing the pressure on said filler.

3. A wire holder comprising an insulator, a base including a centrallypositioned recess and a peripheral flange rigidly secured to saidinsulator, a disk of deformable material fitted into said recess, and ascrew passing through central coaxial openings in said recess and diskand extending outwardly therefrom along the principal axis of saidinsulator, the opening in said recess being slightly larger than theportion of the screw extending therethrough so that said base may berotated about said screw, and means including a stop on said basearranged to engage a portion of said screw for limiting the rotativemovement, whereby said screw may be driven into a mounting member untilsaid filler is compressed within said recess by contact with themounting surface and said peripheral flange engages the latter inresponse to rotation of said insulator, and the latter may subsequentlybe rotated in the opposite direction for adjusting the position of theinsulator without unscrewing said screw.

4. In combination, elements constituting a wire holder including aninsulator, a base associated with said insulator and a wood screw joinedto said base, said wood screw being adapted to be driven into asupporting structure in response to rotation of said insulator untilsaid base engages the surface of the supporting structure, saidinsulator being free to turn about said screw whereby the position ofthe insulator may be changed without disengaging said base from thesurface of the supporting structure.

5. In combination, elements constituting a wire holder, including aninsulator, a base at one end of said insulator, a wood screw joinedthereto and extending outwardly therethrough, a washer of yieldablematerial encircling said wood screw between the outer end thereof andthe base, said wood screw being adapted to be driven into asupportingstructure in response to rotation of said insulator until said base isseated against the surface of the supporting structure and said washeris compressed therebetween, said insulator being free to turn about saidscrew without reducing the pressure on said washer and withoutdisengaging said base from the surface of the supporting structure.

RALPH R. PI'I'IMAN. CARROLL H. WALSH.

